RoseTracker| Mustering up positive enthusiasm for change is the easy part. How do we actually become part of the 10% of people who actually keep their resolutions.

Let me share a cheat sheet for keeping resolutions, written by Sue Shellenbarger for the Wall Street Journal. I can relate. Sue’s five recommendations are general ones, but reality is, most of us are focused on losing weight as a top New Year’s resolution.

I’ve added two more must dos that are top of my list for weight and health management.

Take one step at a time: don’t say that you will lose 40 pounds in three months. Commit to losing one pound a week, and be clear how you will do that mathematically via calorie reduction. Better to target 10 pounds, not 40 and then establish another goal — perhaps 15 pounds for the next phase, now that you’re flush with success.

Get a little help from friends: don’t go it alone. interact with old or new friends who have a similar goal to your own.

Announce your intentions: going on the record is good, especially in blogs or social networking pages.

Figure out your attachment to bad habits: this is a biggie. Permanent change is more likely when we understand why we are sabotaging ourselves in the first place.

Expect setbacks: don’t blame yourself or give up over a small blip on your life screen. Two steps forward and one back is often the bedrock of real progress.

Be accountable: write it down every day. I’m a firm believer in the concept of the daily little book, one that goes everywhere with you.

To master my relationship with food, calories and portion size several years ago, I wrote down everything I ate, with a running calorie tally, on a daily basis. I also documented my daily exercise, figuring out calories expended.